Scoop NYC closing all stores

Scoop NYC, a small chain of clothing stores, is shutting down because of increased rents and competition, according to a source familiar with the retailer’s plans.

The company operates more than a dozen stores in eight states.

The source said Tuesday that all the stores would be closed eventually.

“Right now, we are wrapping up business,” said the source, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the closing and requested anonymity. “Everything is on sale . . . We are taking all the steps to close the remaining doors.”

Scoop, with its flagship store in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood, was best known for carrying an eclectic mix of men’s and women’s contemporary fashions. It was founded by Stefani Greenfield and Uzi Ben-Abraham and since 2007 has been owned by a Los Angeles-based private equity firm led by billionaire Ron Burkle.

A spokesman for the private equity firm wasn’t immediately available to comment on Tuesday.

The source said Scoop had struggled to produce profits large enough to cover rising rents on its large stores.